


It Was Always You

by Beatles_and_Bellarke



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, but that was a liiiiiiiittle complicated, really its friends to enemies to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 10:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21456889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beatles_and_Bellarke/pseuds/Beatles_and_Bellarke
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak has loved Richie Tozier his entire life.  When the secret slips, Richie suddenly turns on him and Eddie is left to pick up the pieces.  It hurts but he goes on, wondering if there ever will be a time where they can repatch what they have.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 9





	It Was Always You

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first multi chapter fic i've written in awhile! Hopefully you guys enjoy it!! 
> 
> As always, please give it a kudos and a comment!!
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr: beatlemaniacinthetardis.tumblr.com

“Tozier.” Richie rounded on the voice. The shorter boy facing him sounded amused, if somewhat nervous.

“Kaspbrak.” Richie’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding straight out of his chest. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I would say the same, except we go to the same school.” Eddie matched his blow with equal snark. It took everything in Richie not to laugh. No, this little twerp wasn’t funny. What the fuck, Richie?

“I need to get to my locker.” Eddie darted towards the doors, but Richie stopped him. The two glared at each other for a solid minute and a half.

“OH MY GOD. STOP FLIRTING.” Came a voice from down the hallway. The timing was just right where Richie was momentarily flustered and Eddie shoved past him to the lockers.

The spot where Eddie pushed him burned. Richie was aware of everything at 5x the speed. An indignant blush shot color to his cheeks. He suppressed the feelings, embarrassment and rage swirling equally.

Richard Tozier _didn’t_ flirt. He most certainly didn’t flirt with Eddie Kaspbrak. After one last glare at Kaspbrak’s backside, Richie stormed out of the building.

“What’s with him?” Beverly asked Eddie, approaching the lockers moments after Richie exited.

“Wish I knew, Bev. He hasn’t said a single kind word to me since early elementary school. Hard to believe we were best friends then.”

The distant look in Eddie’s eyes hurt Beverly. She remembered when the two were inseparable. All the self-dubbed Losers Club did.

It was Richie and Eddie always. Or at least it seemed like this was going to be the case until the start of 6th grade. That was when Eddie came out as gay and confessed his not-so-small crush on Richie to a few select friends. Someone (Bev suspected Henry Bowers) leaked the news to Richie who suddenly acted very strange towards Eddie. They tolerated each other over the next three years but it didn’t feel the same.

Once high school rolled around, Richie had his own group of friends in Stanley, Bill and Mike. Eddie stuck with Ben and Bev most of the time. It hurt him to pass the others in the hallways but it was for the best. Richie made it clear he couldn’t stand him and Eddie forced himself to swallow the stinging in his heart.

“Come on, we gotta head home.” Eddie turned around and practically bolted to the exit with Beverly and Ben close behind.

Richie went to the one place where he felt at ease. The arcade was a five-minute walk from the school. He needed the satisfaction of almost breaking the machines with his incessant button slamming. Richie met Stanley there every afternoon.

Once inside, Richie breathed deeply. The musty smell of old arcade games calmed him. True to form, Stan was playing Pac Man for the millionth time. His face was scrunched in focus, so he didn’t hear Richie approach him.

“Boo!” The other boy shot twelve feet in the air, forcing a laugh from Richie. “I got you pretty good there, Stan the Man.”

“Fuck off, Tozier.” Stan grimaced.

“Tut tut, Stanley. Such a foul mouth.” Richie grinned, hands up in a surrender motion. “So what’re you up to today?” Then a thought occurred to him. “Did you even go to school today?”

“Yes but my mom got me out really early for a doctor’s appointment so I’ve been here since.” Stan didn’t take his eyes off the screen as he spoke. Richie nodded.

He was impressed with how fast Stan was hitting the buttons. He decided to break the news to Stanley using this distraction.

“I ran into Eds today.” He spoke quietly, hoping his friend wouldn’t hear him.

But Stan’s ears are really good. He paused the game to round on Richie.

“And?”

“Oh, uhhh, nothing. Just wanted to tell you it happened. Every time I see him, I’m reminded what I like about him but then I remember what he said and the anger boils in me again.” Richie clenched his fists. Stan put a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.

“You guys need to talk.” The words struck Richie to his core.

“Talk about what? I’m not gay, Stan. I can’t return how he feels.” Richie said it more to himself than Stan, who nodded sagely.

“You’re right, Rich. You can’t return how he feels. But you can give him some kind of closure and a new type of normal. Instead of shunning him, you need to try. I’ve seen how much he misses you. You two were best friends. Throwing that away isn’t right.”

Richie knew he was right, but that didn’t ease the confusion. He definitely wasn’t gay. But he couldn’t deny in his heart of hearts that he felt _something _when he thought about Eddie_. _It may have been a sympathy pang. He disregarded it and went about ignoring Stan’s advice in lieu of mashing buttons in the arcade.


End file.
